The issuance of vouchers for needy Kazakhstanis will cover not only food products but also utility payments, as well as kindergartens and medical services. How exactly will this system work? =AZarcXxErRRq_VFfm_mC1yAV2iGJlZ1LC2Hhk6iQGF1psuTmZFKjwcO9x8McfUJJwVn7pJa-y7-OidWaNQh05nwu11QG7WQkre4PV6AB49rP2l9UYp-fPYh2owzxgbjU6-fBb7ZeaCJLjIwn4VlmIH4HZHjEB4dhcsol5EUpoCZSziSIcwhxFeawv_fhcDj4ADL98Doj0LVfdK6GTBZs6GQ_&__tn__=-UC%2CP-R] notes the publication "Vremya":
The system will operate through the “Social Wallet,” which will ensure strict control over the distribution of aid, guaranteeing that it reaches truly needy people and that not a single budget tenge is wasted.
In January of this year, Rostislav KONYASHKIN, the first deputy minister of artificial intelligence and digital development, announced plans to implement personalized vouchers in the “Social Wallet.” An important aspect will be verifying the compliance of recipients with established criteria, as well as recording the provision of services through eGov Mobile and biometrics.
According to the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development (MAIID), further phased implementation of another 10 measures of state support is planned in the “Social Wallet.”
Some citizens express doubts about the necessity of vouchers and would prefer to receive assistance in cash equivalents, as was the case before. This question was addressed by Mazhilis deputy Ekaterina SMYSHLYAEVA, noting that the “Social Wallet” represents a modern form of targeted social assistance (TSA) designed to meet basic life needs such as food, housing, and education.
— The experience of many countries shows that when assistance for meeting basic needs is monetized, part of the funds may be spent on other needs due to debt or household circumstances. As a result, there may be problems with ensuring key needs. Digital vouchers allow us to guarantee that state support truly reaches its goal, especially when it comes to children, — explained Smyshlyaeva.
Moreover, there are economic reasons for implementing vouchers. Sectors related to socially significant food products, utility services, and education have high production costs. It is impossible to provide access to all these services for all citizens without harming the economy. Therefore, many states apply targeted support, allowing vulnerable groups of the population to access necessary goods and services without affecting market prices.
— This gives citizens guarantees that their basic needs will be met even in difficult life situations. Compared to the coupons in the USSR, which served as a tool in conditions of scarcity when goods were in short supply, today vouchers work differently: goods and services are available on the market, but not everyone has the means to purchase them. The state does not limit consumption but opens access to basic goods for those in need, — emphasized the Mazhilis deputy.
At a recent government meeting, Kassym-Jomart TOKAYEV stated that in 2022, about 40% of all expenditures from the republican budget were spent on the social sphere; however, questions arose regarding the effectiveness of these expenditures. In this regard, he instructed the government to create social digital profiles of households that will ensure the objectivity and targeting of social support. All types of assistance, including cash payments and vouchers, should be provided through the “Social Wallet,” integrated with banking and payment infrastructure, the president noted.
What is meant by the inefficiency of budget expenditures on social assistance? Perhaps it refers to citizens underreporting their incomes to receive TSA or other benefits, while the state does not pay attention to this?
Ekaterina Smyshlyaeva believes that the problem lies not in the dishonesty of citizens but in the imprecise approach to support measures, which do not always correspond to the real living conditions of families.
— The social system has been formed from many disparate payments and benefits provided by various authorities based on different criteria. This leads to a situation where some citizens receive several types of assistance simultaneously, even though they no longer need it, while others, on the contrary, remain without support because they do not meet formal criteria. The task of creating a social digital profile of a household is to understand the real level of family welfare. Targeted assistance is an attempt to make the system fairer so that support reaches those who truly need it, — noted the deputy.
According to her, the integration of the “Social Wallet” with banking and payment infrastructure will solve several tasks: guarantee that funds are directed to the stated social goals, simplify life for citizens by providing proactive assignment of support, and also increase the transparency and manageability of budget expenditures.
Currently, the “Social Wallet” offers three options: free hot meals for schoolchildren, provision of free medicines, and vouchers for household gas with discounts of up to 27%. Starting in 2024, these services will be available in a pilot mode in several regions and cities, and by 2025, they are planned to be expanded nationwide.
According to the MAIID, 1,605,059 schoolchildren from socially vulnerable families receive hot meals through vouchers. More than 6,500 schools are connected to the “Social Wallet” service. Over the past year, more than 13 million electronic prescriptions for free medicines have been issued for 1.8 million people at 700 pharmacy points, as well as more than 50,000 vouchers for discounted household gas.
The pilot project launched in Akmolinsk region (in Kokshetau and Akkol) allows TSA recipients to use digital vouchers in the “Social Wallet” to purchase socially significant food products with discounts ranging from 5 to 15 percent. More than 300 families have already used food vouchers.
Each family receiving TSA is credited with 1 minimum calculation indicator (MCI, in 2026 — 4,325 tenge), which can be used for cashless purchases of goods in stores connected to the system. For example, a family of four receives 17,300 tenge monthly as a discount on socially significant products.
To use the voucher, it is enough to present the QR code from the “Social Wallet” at the store checkout. The difference between the market price and the discounted price is automatically deducted, and the remaining amount is paid by the customer independently.
The positive results of the pilot project with food vouchers have contributed to its expansion throughout the republic.
It is worth noting that all vouchers, like other types of assistance in the “Social Wallet,” are assigned automatically, without the need for applications. The system sends notifications about assistance via SMS from the number 1414, to which citizens can respond with consent or refusal.
Currently, only non-monetary types of social support are available in the “Social Wallet.” Although back in 2020, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed to digitize social payments, this has not yet been implemented. The MAIID reported that the receipt of pensions, benefits, and other monetary payments through the “Social Wallet” is not yet carried out, and the issue of monetary payments is still under development.
Deputy Ekaterina Smyshlyaeva commented on the lack of progress in this direction, emphasizing that for the successful implementation of digital solutions in the social sphere, it is necessary to change the entire architecture of the social support system. The state must guarantee that digital payments do not worsen accessibility for vulnerable groups, such as the elderly or residents of rural areas.
The record "Kazakhstanis in need of support will receive vouchers for socially significant products, subsidized housing, and utility services" first appeared on K-News.
